To promote a movie, Kim Henkel, who co-wrote Tobe Hooper’s original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, does not hesitate to embrace his background. He also does not shy away from using it when he needs to craft another narrative for the big screen. Like many of Henkel’s “Butcher Boys” has so many elements from his 1974 masterpiece that it can simply be pegged as a modern day version of the same story. And I am not even talking about the generation that Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweber belong to.
In fact,”Butcher Boys” started off as yet another installment in the Leatherface franchise before turning into a completely transformed new property. This will be blindingly obvious to anyone who watches the film. Formerly known as Boneboys, which obviously sounded like some kind of a pornographic movie, Butcher Boys could have certainly done with another draft or two before the most casual of viewers identified the title’s inspiration as something far more vulgar.
However, it is not only the chainsaw, cannibalism, and the mindless meta themes of stumbling into a place that is best left undisturbed. “Butcher Boys” also lifts entire set pieces from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. These include a feral beast man, a d ragged cannibal, a dinner banquet with a cook who calls his dimwitted henchmen “sh*tbirds”, as well as a horrific final scene with a desperate woman who flees outside by breaking a window. TCM’s alumni also show up in some of the other scenes. But these wink/nod scenes cut the plot and come off as irritatingly pointless, even though I personally found them fun easter eggs without being too annoying.
The story begins at San Antonio hotspot, where Kenny celebrates his seventeenth birthday alongside his friend Mikey, his sister Sissy and his girlfriend Barbie. It seems she is a handful to say the least. Outside, there is a disruptive group of protestors trying to ruin the restaurant’s steady flow of customers. Due to Barbie’s hyperactive behavior, the four friends find themselves in a joyride which escalates into a chase, bringing them to the wrong side of the town. Here, they are confronted by a group of thugs that are infamous to everyone who knows their true nature. These are this ‘butcher boys’ and they are on the lookout for some fresh meat.
Shifting from the deserted setting of ‘Chainsaw’, “Butcher Boys” is placed in an industrial Texan city. The film depicts San Antonio in a less than flattering light which allows the filmmakers to take advantage of the city’s landscape. It enhances the sensation of being close to home, but trapped in unfamiliar and dangerous environments.
The cannibals in question are a mix between greasers and a hip biker clan. They have an element of danger without saying a word which stems from their unclear purpose. The viewers find themselves trapped in the gruesome world right next to the teenagers who, for some strange reason, are being slaughtered.
The story establishes a relatively realistic, yet surreal setting that is filled with strangely intriguing individuals that are inclined towards unusual actions and possess unknown motives. The cuts are quick and the camera angles are abundant which aids the directors in crafting the world as they see fit. There are a lot of strange things to focus on and for a little bit that is sufficient. Things shift way too abruptly into left field when “Butcher Boys” goes off its aimless for too long and fails to answer anything in the end.
The “butcher boys” are not only underdeveloped but also lacking in dimension. They are feared, revered, and hold importance in the underbelly of the city for reasons that are masked. The main storyline is flanked by scenes of animal-loving protesters striking outside a steakhouse. One gets the impression that the movie is building up to deliver some clever commentary on the food chain. But that too never comes to be. “Butcher Boys” poses as a half-assed version of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” wherein a rocket launcher is brought out in the middle of the day. With the missile is the suspicion that the writers thought they could fill the script with flashes and bangs instead of adding real substance to its plot.
Well-defined aesthetics, urban regions, and over the top eccentric people draw in the spectators. From a barely-there, head-scratching plot filled with frustration and dissatisfaction, everyone gets blasted out instead. The story of “Butcher Boys” is a one way journey. It makes sense that the movie includes plenty of endless chase scenes. At the end of the day, it feels like a hamster on a wheel that moves but gets nowhere. The audience is left feeling like the hamster, thinking if all they gained from the experience is fatigue and perplexity.
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